title: [Non-alcoholic Wernicke's encephalopathy as a cause of death in 3 surgical patients].
abstract: 3 cases of Wernicke's encephalopathy are reported with consecutive death in surgery patients. A long period of vomiting caused by tumors or inflammation in the upper intestinal tract, preceded. This probably causes a deficiency of thiamin. The deficiency was reinforced by high calorie parenteral nourishment. Caused by non-reversible shock and severe destruction of metabolism, only a period of 1-2 days lays between first neurological symptoms and death. in similar cases a sufficient supply of thiamine should be considered.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002056:Burns / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000009:adverse effects; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D013831:Thiamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013832:Thiamine Deficiency / Q000150:complications*; D014899:Wernicke Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D013831:Thiamine
vernacular_title: Nicht alkoholbedingte Wernickesche Enzephalopathie als Todesursache bei drei chirurgischen Patienten.